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01/23/2012
NH: Moody words cause great emotional shifts
On Wednesday of last week, J. Scott Moody, one half of the married twosome that now runs New Hampshire's Cornerstone Policy Research group, made an anti-marriage-equality case to the editorial board of the conservative Foster's Daily Democrat. And to be quite honest, it was one of the nastiest attempts to scapegoat same-sex couples that I have ever seen from a mainstream state or national group. Essentially Moody claimed that same-sex marriage will destroy the state's economy, lower the birth rate, and will create that generalized conservative fear climate known as "demographic winter." You can read Moody's full piece here (*you might have to register).
But the really interesting thing happened this weekend. After considering Moody's fear claims and their own readers' resounding pushback towards the same, the paper's conservative editorial board felt the need to write something else. Something kind of great, actually. Check it out:
As for questions about this newspaper's support or opposition to HB 437, Foster's editorial stance has been to oppose gay marriage. At the same time, however, we understand the need to move on to more pressing legislative matters.
To that end, we have written and endorsed that gay marriage should stand.
Whether that will remain the editorial position of this newspaper after meeting with someone from Standing Up for New Hampshire Families remains to be seen.
We admit, however, that our editorial board found Moody's economic justification for repealing gay marriage more than a bit shaky, as pointed out by our questioning during the editorial board and then by many of our readers following publication of the story.
Editorial broad draws readers' wrath and questions [Fosters.com]
Yup, that's right: Even GOP-leaning news outlets that oppose marriage equality are starting to question the far-right fears! This is pretty big. Cornerstone Policy Research isn't some little rinky dink org that managed to elbow into a news office. CPR is that state's preeminent "pro-family" (/anti-LGBT) group. J. Scott Moody's arguments are the ones front and center in the current repeal debate. And not only are Moody's arguments failing to connect: They are actually flipping people our way!
Brilliant!
Interesting side note: The "Demographic Winter" meme to which Moody refers in numerous comments and blog posts was largely crafted by a man named Rick Stout, who directed the documentary of the same name. This is the same Rick Stout who produced (at least) three of the National Organization For Marriage's ridiculous "marriage anti-defamation" videos.
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